The Fifth Season

Today's post takes us outside.  It is time to talk about the weather. We have the four typical seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. But here in our little corner of the world, and perhaps it is shared in yours, we have a fifth season.  And no I am not talking about the old joke - construction season.

As winter comes to an end, but spring has not quite taken over we have pothole season.  My wife and I were out for a drive today, and I see that this year is going to be a bumper crop.  I have driven on country roads that were much smoother than some of the streets in the city.

Pothole season is that time of the year when it is starting to get warmer during the day, but is still cold at night.  Or in our case, at least this year, where we alternated between a few days of warmer weather, followed by a trip back into the deep freeze for the next few days.

The layer of ice that has covered everything for two months has started to melt.  The water drips down into cracks in the road.  Then when the temperature drops, the water refreezes.  Then repeat, over and over again until a hole is formed.

Of course if it was only one hole, then it wouldn't matter.  But there are many, many, many holes. There are big holes, small holes, deep holes, shallow holes, and yet more holes still forming.

The city will send out the patching crew, but it likely won't be for a few weeks yet.  After all, the season is just starting.  Otherwise they would be patching and repatching the same holes over and over.